News

Emeli Sandé accepts the James Joyce Award (in concert)

Monday 5th November

So, you won't believe this but we've got the delightful and incredibly talented Ms. Sandé coming to accept the James Joyce Award for her phenomenal contribution to music. But here's the kicker, at her own request, Ms. Sandé will be playing a few songs as well as answering any questions the audience may have.
Naturally, admission will be free to all L&H members, so bring your membership card!
But let's talk more about Emeli. Surely you know her by now. No? Well, then I can assure you she's talented enough to have a number one album in the UK, as well as a plethora of memorable singles that are instantly enjoyable.
Among her accolades is her utter musical domination of the London 2012 Olympics, performing at the opening and closing ceremony, as well as recording a cover of John Lennon's "Imagine" for the end credits.
Emily Sandé is simply a wonderful musician and a fantastic character, listing her achievements can only remove from the true personality of the woman, so you'll have to come down to the Astra Hall this Monday at FIVE O CLOCK and hear her in person.

Jack White accepts the James Joyce Award

Tuesday 30th October

We know there is no tradition to give you presents on Halloween, but we decided to screw tradition and give you an early present.
Sorry, has this not made your head explode yet? Well fine, I will elaborate. Jack White, the guitarist and mastermind of The White Stripes, The Dead Weather & The Raconteurs. He is a freaky genius. He is on Rolling Stones list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Like, if you still are not hopping up and down then you may well be lost. Keep reading though.
For the truly, hopelessly lost, he wrote Seven Nation Army, and if that does not help, it is that one that goes dunnnn duh dun dun dun dunnn dunn and also happens to be the most iconic riff ever written, even if it is mind-bendingly simple. He is a fantastically interesting character and someone who is undoubtedly a master of music and guitar playing.
He will be addressing us, before his concert thing in the O2, so not only will this be a chance to hear him talking about his success, but you can actually ask him a bloody question or two about how he managed it all. Or really anything.

Wednesday Night Debate Series - Week 1

Wednesday 12th September

Cannabis is the world's most used illegal drug. Adored by hapless stoners, stressed workers, injury sufferers and professional hip-hoppers like Snoop Doggy Dogg, weed is very much a drug of the people.
But here's the burning question; should it really be illegal? Is getting high really so bad? Are the effects of these "mild" narcotics really so severe as to justify making their consumption an offence? If weed was readily available, would it result in the ruination of society, with teen mothers being gunned down by stoned gunmen combating the "munchies?" Or more simply, would Pink Floyd album sales just go through the roof?
Perhaps it's time for a proper debate.
The L&H has brought in a distinguished group of speakers whose insights are bound to give you a natural high. Come to the Fitzgerald Debating Chamber in the Student Centre for an unmissable debate.
Guests include:
- Luke 'Ming' Flanagan TD: an intoxicatingly unique presence in the Dáil, 'Ming' is best known for long-running campaign for the legalisation of cannabis.
- Dr. Jamie Whyte: a philosopher, certain to provide a thought-provoking perspective on the matter.
- Anthony Boyle: of Legalise Cannabis. Debating the legalisation of weed is his bread and butter.
- Dr. Bobby Smith: a psychiatrist who can provide us with insight into the impact of weed on your psychiatric health.
- John Lonergan: Ex-Governor of Mountjoy Prison
- Austin Prior: distinguished councillor.
And afterwards there will be a FREE wine reception for all attendees.

Orientation Week 2012

3rd - 7th September

Monday 3rd September - All Day Committee Members are floating around campus with the opportunity to buy tickets for the First Official Night of the year, Boys & Girls Tuesday 4th September - 6pm In collaboration with Jazz Soc, the L&H are putting on a chilled mixer, in the Blue Room at 6pm. If there's a better way to relax after all those damn tours, and make some new friends than free wine and great music, we haven't heard of it! Wednesday 5th September - 1.30pm In cahoots with our Arts Soc comrades, the L&H seek to find the answer to the age old question, and finally lay to rest the mystery of whether indeed "girls rule and boys drool!"... With top comedians on both sides, we'll make sure your lunchtime is stuffed full of side splitting laughter. Wednesday 5th September - 11pm "All the boys and the girls they've got it going on." - Pixie Lott Thursday 6th September - 1pm Is anyone above the law? Should anyone be? Should this masked vigilante be held accountable no matter his intentions? The L&H wondered about this, and decided to find out as we do with all things, by bringing together fantastic men who were involved in the creation of this awesome character and story, as well as some avid fans, to debate for your entertainment! This House Would Arrest Batman... or would it?

The First Official Night Out - Boys & Girls

Wednesday 5th September

Boys & Girls, the biggest, cheapest, and first official night of the year is back. Wednesday 5th September in Lafayette's, O'Connell bridge. With tickets only a fiver, and spectacular drink deals on offer, you'd be hard pressed to stay sober or shiftless! Tickets can be purchased from any and all roaming committee members (just look out for the cool kids in the purple hoodies!)

L&H Success at European Debate Championships

Thursday 9th August

The L&H Team composed of Mark Haughton & Christine Simpson made it to the final of the European Universities Debate Championships, beating out the best of Europe to reach the top four. Being only the second L&H team ever, and the only Irish representatives, in the final, their achievement cannot be overstated. Sadly, they missed out on the win in a split decision, but we couldn't be prouder of our champions!

L&H Victory at the International Mace Final

Saturday 29th April

The L&H Team of Michael O'Dwyer and Ciaran Garrett journeyed to London to represent Ireland in the International Mace Debate Competition, having beat out teams from all over the country to win the Irish Mace competition. Marking the 5th L&H victory at the competition, Michael and Ciaran took the win, doing themselves, the society and all of Ireland proud!

Speakers Selected to Represent the Society at National Maidens

Tuesday 28th February 2012

The following eleven speakers will be representing the Literary & Historical Society at National Maidens Debating Competition which will be taking place this Friday & Saturday in University College Cork, making ours the largest Society contingent in the country. We wish all of the speakers the best of luck, and will update the results here as they are announced!
Peter Murphy
Bridget Harrison
Austin Conlon
Adam Pettigrew
Niamh Harford
Ciara Gallagher
Helen Lawless
Nick Power
Alex Owens
Jamie Speiran
Federica Ferrari

SU Sabbatical Officers Hustings

Monday 27th February 2012

This evening the L&H, in association with Belfield FM, held this year's SU sabbatical officer hustings, which took place in a packed out Theatre M. Candidates addressed the 320 person audience for 60 seconds giving an overview of their policies and intentions, before being grilled by our moderators, rival candidates, and audience members. The two uncontested candidates, Rachel Breslin (running for the Office of President) and Eoin Heffernan (running for the Officer of Ents Officer) outlined their plans to address the accounting side of the SU, with Breslin aware of the need to increase the financial accountability of the Union regardless of the outcome of the referendum on the new Constitution, and Heffernan eager to run lower cost events and to keep students on campus by increasing the level of activity in the Student Bar and new cinema, as well as keeping ticket prices to below ten euro per event. The contested elections were that of the Welfare Officer, Education Officer, and Campaigns & Communications Officer. The education debate centred around the issue of how best to integrate students into the workforce, be that through unpaid internships or alumni mentoring schemes, and Geoghegan was again grilled on the issue of the books which disposed of from the SU bookshop. The welfare debate was a calm affair with both candidates focusing on their own campaign rather than engaging in negative campaigning, and discussed their policies for improving accessibility of welfare services to students through various media. The C&C race was more heated, with accusations and allegations made about various candidates, their experience, track record, political affiliations as well as a spate of rumours about conduct. To hear the podcast in full, just follow the link here.

The Maidens Mace Tab is here!

Monday 27th February 2012

The tab for the L&H Maidens Mace 2012 is now available! Congratulations to all speakers and teams, for really excellent speeches, and well done to Peter & Bridget for topping the tab! It can be downloaded here.

Congratulations to Peter & Michael, Winners of the Maidens Mace!

Wednesday 22nd 2012

Congratulations to the team of Peter Murphy & Michael Foley for winning the Maidens Mace final this evening. The motion for the final was 'This House Believes "just following orders" should Never be a Defense for War Crimes'. Speaking in first proposition was the team of Niamh Harford & Conor Waldron, in first opposition were Peter & Michael, in second proposition were Robert Dunne & Chris Lally and in second opposition the team of Helen Lawless & Sorcha Kinder, with Alex Owens & Ciara Gallagher speaking as individuals. Congratulations to all speakers, and to Bridget Harrison and Peter Murphy who joint topped the speaker tab.

L&H come Runner-Up in The Irish Times Final

18th February 2012

Congratulations to Mark Haughton, Christine Simpson & Hannah Lucey for their excellent performance in the Final of the Irish Times Debating Competition yesterday evening. The team competition was won by Eoin Kelliher & Elizabeth Ahern-Flynn representing the Royal College of Surgeons, with the L&H team (Christine & Mark) coming runner-up. The winner of the individual category was Michael Conroy, the treasurer of the 155th Session of the Literary & Historical, who was speaking on behalf of UCD Med Soc and the runner-up individual was Liam Brophy speaking on behalf of the TCD Hist. The winners of the team and individual category will be invited on a tour of the United States commencing on March 17th which includes five seperate destinations- New York, Seattle, Denver Colorado, Salt Lake City Utah, and finally, Miami Florida! Congratulations to the winners, commiserations to the other competitors and many thanks to all who came along to support the L&H.

The Irish Times Debating Competition Final

15th February 2012

Congratulations to Mark Haughton & Christine Simpson who will be speaking as a team in the final, to Hannah Lucey who will be speaking as an individual, and to the Treasurer of the 155th Session, Michael Conroy, who will be speaking as an individual on behalf of UCD Med Soc.
The final will be taking place in The Royal College of Surgeons with a reception from 6.30pm and the debate beginning at 7pm. The motion for the final is "This House Would Abolish Prisons"
Speaking in the debate are the following teams:
1st Proposition: TCD Hist
Ian Curran & Adam Noonan
1st Opposition: TCD Phil
Ruth Keating & Rebecca Keating
2nd Government: RCSI
Eoin Kelleher & Elizabeth Ahern-Flynn
2nd Opposition: UCD L&H
Mark Haughton & Christine Simpson
Speaking as individuals are the following:
1st Proposition: Michael Conroy (UCD Med Soc)
1st Opposition: Liam Brophy (TCD Hist)
2nd Proposition: Hannah Lucey (UCD L&H)
2nd Opposition: Rian Derrig (TCD Hist)
This prestigious event will be chaired by the Minister for Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation Richard Bruton TD.
Judging the debate will be:
Kevin O'Sullivan (Irish Times editor),
Muireann O'Cinneide (Winner of the Irish Times Debate in 1998, Lecturer in NUIG),
David Kenny (Winner of the Irish Times Debate in 2008, Lecturer in Trinity),
Brent Northup (Debate coach and lecturer at Carroll College, Montana) and
Prof. Ronan Conroy (Lecturer in Evidence-based medicine and statistics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.)

Trials for the European Championship Delegation

16th February 2012

Trials to decide the delegation representing the Literary & Historical Society at the European Championships this summer in Belgrade will be taking place on Sunday 26th February. Selections will take place on an individual basis, with pairings then decided at the recommendation of the selection panel under Gregg O'Neill. Those seeking to attend trials should sign up before the closing date of Tuesday 21st February. To sign up, simply fill out the registration form here.

L&H Speakers Final the Galway Open and Top the Tab

12th February 2012

Congratulations to Mark Haughton & his partner Maurice Cotter (UL) and Hannah Lucey & her partner Sophie Scannell (UCC Philosoph) for reaching the final of the Irish National Law Debates (Galway Open) 2012. Congratulations also to Michael O'Dwyer & Christine Simpson who reached the semi-finals. Congratulations to all speakers, and good job on a great L&H performance with speakers from the L&H breaking first, second and third, and L&H speakers coming joint first, third, sixth and eighth on the tab, which can be found here.

The Maidens' Mace 2012 Begins!

Friday 3rd February 2012

The Maidens' Mace is a tournament open to all Novice speakers (those in their first year of university debating) and will be taking place over the coming fortnight. This competition is structured in British Parliamentary Mace format, meaning speakers speak in teams of two, with four teams per room. The motion for the debate will be announced fifteen minutes before the debate begins, and each speaker will speak for five minutes. The competition will begin with an introductory evening on Monday 6th where we will have a workshop given by Mark Haughton, followed by a practice round of debating. The competitive rounds will take place on Monday 13th, Thursday 16th and Monday 20th February, with two rounds each evening. All teams and speakers are invited to compete in all six rounds, however in order to facilitate competitors' busy timetables, only your best four rounds will count. The final will take place on Wednesday 22nd February at 7pm, with a reception beforehand for all competitors. To sign up drop Angela (the convenor) a line at maidensmace@literaryandhistorical.com or simply fill out the registration form which can be found here. Looking forward to seeing you all!

L&H Win (and Final!) Trinity IV

29th January 2012

Congratulations to the team of Muireann O'Dwyer & Ruth Faller (UCD L&H J) who won the Trinity IV this weekend! Congratulations also to the team of Mark Haughton & Christine Simpson (UCD L&H A) who also reached the final, and to Michael O'Dwyer & Hannah Lucey (UCD L&H B) who reached the quarter-finals as well as to all of those individuals for their fantastic performance in helping the L&H to dominate the Top 10 Speakers with Mark coming 2nd on tab, Ruth & Muireann coming joint 3rd, Christine for finishing 7th and Michael for coming 8th. Congratulations to all speakers who took part, with this year's delegation representing a record L&H attendance! The speaker tab for the competition can be found here and the team tab can be found here.

The final will be available to watch here shortly!

L&H Final Kingsmill Moore Invitational

17th January 2012

Congratulations to Christine & Mark who reached the final of the Trinity (Kingsmill Moore) Invitational, as well as to Dearbhla O'Gorman (speaking with Sophie Scannell from UCC) and Ruth Faller (speaking with Ian Curran) who also reached the final, making it comprise of 4 L&H speakers. The motion was 'This House Would Go Nude' and was won by the team of Liam O'Neill & Emer Duffy (TCD Hist) from Second Proposition.

The final will be available to watch here shortly!

Novice Trials for the European Championships

5th February 2012

Trials to decide the novice portion of the delegation representing the Literary & Historical Society at the European Championships this summer in Belgrade will be taking place on Saturday 18th February. Selections will take place on an individual basis, with pairings then decided at the recommendation of the selection panel under Gregg O'Neill. Novice trials are open to any member of the Society in their first year of University. Those seeking to attend trials should sign up before the closing date of Wednesday 15th February. To sign up, simply fill out the registration form which can be found here.

Padraig Harrington Receives the James Joyce Award

3rd January 2012

Last night Padraig Harrington received the James Joyce Award of the Society in recognition of his outstanding contribution as an Irish sportsperson both individually and as part of successful Ryder Cup teams. Through his continued success he offers huge promise to all young sportspeople- and the insights he discussed in addressing the Society show that his optimism, enthusiasm and realisation of the importance of self-confidence offer valuable lessons to us all, regardless of the arena in which our aims or achievements lie.

Worlds Final & Tab Released

26th January 2012

The motion for the Grand Final of Worlds 2012 was 'This House Supports Nationalism'. Speaking in first proposition was the team from Monash A, in First Opposition Stanford A, Second Proposition was Oxford B (Jen Coyne & Steph Bell) and in Closing Government was Sydney A (Elle Jones & Daniel Swain). The winners were the team in First Proposition, from Monash- well done! The best speaker at the tournament was Ben Woolgar, from Oxford A.
The final is available to watch here:

Worlds Final & Tab Released

4th January 2012

Congratulations to Michael & Christine for coming 27th & 29th on the speaker tab respectively! And congratulations to Catherine Murphy (TCD Hist B) who made the top 10 speakers (finishing in 10th place), as well as to her partner, John Engle, who was the 15th best speaker. Great Irish performance! The speaker tab for the competition can be found found here, and the team tab can be found here.

L&H Reach World Semi-Finals for the First Time in a Decade!

3rd January 2012

Fantastic performance! Christine & Michael are now the first Irish team in a decade to have reached the Semi-Finals of Worlds! (With the last being Paul Brady, Auditor of the 148th Session of the Literary & Historical Society). The motion for the Quarter-Finals was 'That This House Believes That "Western" consultants advising dictatorships have a moral duty to sabotage them' with the L&H speaking in Second Opposition. Progressing with them was Monash C (Chris Bissettn & Madeline Schultz) who were speaking in First Opposition. They then took on Sydney A, Oxford B (Jen Coyne & Steph Bell) and Monash in the Semi-Finals. The motion for the Semi-Final was "This House Believes That Images Designed to Even Slightly Sexually Attract/Arouse the Viewer Should be Restricted to Specialist Adult Shops/.XXX domains. Progressing from that round were the teams of Sydney A (Daniel Swain & Elle Jones) and Oxford B (Jen Coyne & Steph Bell)
Their semi-final is available to watch here:

L&H Progress to the Quarter-Finals at Worlds!

2nd January 2012

Huge congratulations to Christine Simpson & Michael O'Dwyer who have progressed to the Quarter-Finals of the World Championships! In the octo-final they spoke in Second Opposition on the motion 'This House Would Not Allow a Single Media Company to Own Multiple TV Channels or Newspapers (whether in print or online)'. Progressing with them is the team in Opening Government, Auckland B. They will face Auckland, Monash C(Chris Bissett & Madeline Schultz) and Harvard in the quarter-finals. Hard luck to Catherine & John, Ricky & Dave who unfortunately went out at the octo-final stages, but fantastic performance nonetheless. Best of luck Christine & Michael, you're representing Ireland now!

L&H Break 11th at Worlds!

1st January 2012

Congratulations to Christine Simpson & Michael O'Dwyer (speaking as L&H A) who broke 11th at the World Universities' Debating Championships on a total of 20 points! Tomorrow (about 1.30am Irish time) they face Auckland B, Yale B and Oxford D (Matt Handley & Greg Farqar) in their octo-finals. Their judges in that round will be Victor Finkel, Cormac Early, Isa Fischer, Emily Zhang and Kurt See. To see the full draw just click here. Congratulations also to Catherine Murphy & John Engle (TCD Hist B) who broke 4th on an incredible 22 points and to David Byrne & Ricky McCormick (TCD Phil A) who broke 25th. Incredible Irish performance and best of luck to them all for tomorrow!

Results from the Cork IV 2011

4th December 2011

Congratulations to all speakers who represented the Society at the Cambridge Inter-Varsity debating competition last weekend. Congratulations to L&H A (Christine Simpson & Michael O'Dwyer) who broke 3rd on team tab, came joint 3rd on the speaker tab, and reaching the semi-final stages. Congratulations also Peter Murphy & Michael Foley (UCD L&H F), who topped the novice team and speaker tab (in joint first place), qualified for the main break (breaking 8th) and coming joint 9th on the main speaker tab. They also reached the semi-final stage, narrowly losing on a split decision. Congratulations also go to Mark Haughton who co-Chief Adjudicated the competition for the fantastic motions he set over the weekend, and for creating some very enjoyable debates. The tab for the competition can be found here.

The L&H Final the Cork Invitational 2011

2nd December 2011

The team of Mark Haughton & Christine Simpson reached the final of the Cork Invitational. The motions for the day embraced the lighter side of invitationals including motions such as 'This House Would Rather be Stupid and Happy than Intelligent and Miserable'. Taking part in the final were; in 1st Proposition, Mark & Christine (UCD L&H) Doireann O'Byrne & David Hartery (former L&H & UL composite), John Engle & Sally Rooney (TCD Hist) and Gearoid Wrixon &. The motion for the final was 'This House Would Ban the Release of all Films which Fail the The Bechdel Test'. This Test requires films to meet the following three criteria: (1) it has to have at least two female named characters in it, who (2) who talk to each other, about (3) something besides a man. The winners of the final were the team from 2nd Proposition, of John Engle & Sally Rooney.

L&H team reaches the Quarter-Finals of the Cambridge IV 2011

21st November 2011

Four teams represented the Society at the Cork Inter-Varsity debating competition last weekend. The team of L&H B (Christine Simpson & Michael O'Dwyer) broke 14th and reaching the quarter-final. Congratulations also to Christine Simpson on her performance on the speaker tab, ranking 11th with an average of 83 speaker points. The tab for the competition can be found here.

The L&H Final at the Oxford IV 2011

14th November 2011

Three teams represented the Society at the Oxford Inter-Varsity debating competition last weekend. All teams performed extremely well, with the team of L&H C (Mark Haughton & Aengus Boyle) breaking 6th and reaching the Final of the competition, L&H B (Christine Simpson & Michael O'Dwyer) breaking 14th and reaching the quarter-final, and L&H A (Ciaran Garrett & Hannah Lucey) narrowly missing the break. This was the first time in several years that an Irish team has reached the final of the competition, with the previous team of Stephen Boyle & Ian Boyle Harper also representing the L&H. Congratulations also to Mark Haughton for a fantastic performance on the speaker tab, finishing 10th on tab with an average of 82 speaker points. The tab for the competition can be found here.

Three L&H Teams reach the Quarter-Finals at the SOAS IV 2011

24th October 2011

Seven teams represented the Society at the School of Oriental and Asian Studies (SOAS) Inter-Varsity debating competition last weekend in London. All teams performed extremely well, with the team of L&H B (Christine Simpson & Michael O'Dwyer) breaking 10th, L&H A (Ciaran Garrett & Hannah Lucey) breaking 14th, and L&H C (Dearbhla O'Gorman & Shauna Farrell) breaking 16th. All three teams reached the quarter-final stages. A fantastic time was had by all, and well done everyone- a special congratulations to speakers whose first IV was SOAS for an outstanding performance! The tab for the competition can be found here.

Lord David Owen receives the James Joyce Award and discusses Hubris Syndrome

September 29th 2011

Tuesday evening at 7pm Lord David Owen, the ex-UK Foreign Secretary, and leader of the Social Democrats will be addressing the Society and receiving the James Joyce Award. Lord Owen will be speaking on an exceptionally interesting topic,discussing Hubris Syndrome, an acquired personality disorder affecting those in power (be that politicians, army officers, or business people) which causes them to act irrationally and become power mad. There will also be a Q&A session which all members are invited to participate in. This event will be taking place in Theatre M in the Newman Building on Tuesday (tomorrow) at 7pm.

5,000 Members make the L&H UCD's Largest Ever Society!

24th September

Freshers' Week was a remarkable success for the Society, with our membership now standing at a record-breaking 5,104 members. This breaks the previous record for highest ever membership of a UCD Society which was held by the L&H since their Freshers' Week campaign in the 155th session, with that total standing at 4,816. We'd like to extend thanks to all of our new and returning members, we've got a tonne of events, guests and debates lined up for the coming year, so looking forward to meeting you all at our events!

Results & Tabs from the European Championships 2011

13th August 2011

Three teams represented the Society at EUDC in Galway from 7th - 12th August. All teams performed extremely well, with the team of L&H C (Ciaran Garrett & Michael O'Dwyer) breaking 7th and L&H A (Christine Simpson & Mark Haughton) breaking 9th. The team of Dearbhla O'Gorman & Janine Ryan (L&H B) finished 18th on team tab, narrowly missing the break on speaker points. All speakers spoke incredibly well and all finished in the top 40 speakers, with Christine missing the top 10 speakers by a mere one speaker point! Both breaking teams were narrowly knocked out of the quarter finals. Other strong Irish performances came from TCD Hist (Catherine Murphy & Niamh NiMhaoleoin) who topped the team tab, came 1st and 3rd on the speaker tab respectively, and reached the final, losing to Oxford A (Ben Woolgar & Hugh Burns) on a 6-3 split decision. UCC performed fantastically also, with three teams breaking across the two institutions; UCC Philosoph A (Sean Butler & John Beechinor) broke 3rd and came 6th and 7th on speaker tab respectively, the team of UCC Law B (Gearoid Wrixon & Becky West) broke 12th, and UCC Law B (Sophie Scannell & Maureen Haverty) breaking sixteenth and reaching the semi-final stage. The team of Aengus O'Corrain and Ian Boyle Harper (formerly of the L&H) also broke representing the Kings Inns, with Ian coming 8th on the speaker tab. The tab for the competition can be found here. Congratulations to all teams, you did yourselves and the L&H proud!

Results & Tabs from the SOAS Invitational

21st July 2011

Two teams participated in the SOAS Open as representatives of the Society, Christine Simpson & Stephen Boyle and Michael O'Dwyer & Ciaran Garrett. Both teams performed excellently at the competition, with Christine & Stephen reaching the final. The competition was narrowly won by the team of Cambridge A (Jack Watson & Harish Natarajan) in Second Proposition to the motion "This House Would allow individuals to opt out of minimum requirements in the workplace, such as health & safety, and any others requirements". The tab for the competition can be found here. Congratulations to all teams for such a high standard of competition!

Results & Tabs from the European Championships 2011

13th August 2011

Three teams represented the Society at EUDC in Galway from 7th - 12th August. All teams performed extremely well, with the team of L&H C (Ciaran Garrett & Michael O'Dwyer) breaking 7th and L&H A (Christine Simpson & Mark Haughton) breaking 9th. The team of Dearbhla O'Gorman & Janine Ryan (L&H B) finished 18th on team tab, narrowly missing the break on speaker points. All speakers spoke incredibly well and all finished in the top 40 speakers, with Christine missing the top 10 speakers by a mere one speaker point! Both breaking teams were narrowly knocked out of the quarter finals. Other strong Irish performances came from TCD Hist (Catherine Murphy & Niamh NiMhaoleoin) who topped the team tab, came 1st and 3rd on the speaker tab respectively, and reached the final, losing to Oxford A (Ben Woolgar & Hugh Burns) on a 6-3 split decision. UCC performed fantastically also, with three teams breaking across the two institutions; UCC Philosoph A (Sean Butler & John Beechinor) broke 3rd and came 6th and 7th on speaker tab respectively, the team of UCC Law B (Gearoid Wrixon & Becky West) broke 12th, and UCC Law B (Sophie Scannell & Maureen Haverty) breaking sixteenth and reaching the semi-final stage. The team of Aengus O'Corrain and Ian Boyle Harper (formerly of the L&H) also broke representing the Kings Inns, with Ian coming 8th on the speaker tab. The tab for the competition can be found here. Congratulations to all teams, you did yourselves and the L&H proud!

Results & Tabs from the SOAS Invitational

21st July 2011

Two teams participated in the SOAS Open as representatives of the Society, Christine Simpson & Stephen Boyle and Michael O'Dwyer & Ciaran Garrett. Both teams performed excellently at the competition, with Christine & Stephen reaching the final. The competition was narrowly won by the team of Cambridge A (Jack Watson & Harish Natarajan) in Second Proposition to the motion "This House Would allow individuals to opt out of minimum requirements in the workplace, such as health & safety, and any others requirements". The tab for the competition can be found here. Congratulations to all teams for such a high standard of competition!

The L&H at the SOAS Open

18th July 2011

Congratulations to the teams of Michael O'Dywer & Ciaran Garrett, and Stephen Boyle & Aengus Boyle who represented the Society at the SOAS Open this weekend. The tab for the competition can be found here. Congratulations to both teams,and to Aengus & Stephen for reaching the semi-finals of the competition. The Open was won by the team of Cambridge A (Jack Watson & Harish Natarajan) on the motion "This House Believes the US Supreme Court, regardless of the legal merits of the case, should vote in favour of gay marriage." Massive congratulations to all Irish teams attending and to the teams from UCC Law Society and Trinity Philosophical Society for a fantastic performance in reaching the final!

Results of the UCD Earlsfort Open

11th July 2011

Congratulations to everyone who participated, judged, or helped out at the UCD Earlsfort Open this weekend. A great time was had by all, many thanks to the fantastic Chief Adjudicator, Mr Steve Nolan, who set great motions to help teams prepare for Euros. The final was held in the beautiful National Concert Hall, and was ultimately won by the team in First Opposition of Eoghan Casey & Muireann O'Dwyer on the motion "That This House Would Cease All State Funding of Art". Congratulations also to the UCD teams of Janine Ryan & Dearbhla O'Gorman, and Hannah Lucey & Gregg O'Neill for reaching the semi-finals. The tab for the competition can be found by clicking here.

The L&H at the Durham Open

21st June 2011

Congratulations to all speakers who attended the Durham Open last weekend. All teams performed excellently, finishing 9th, 11th and 13th on team tab, and narrowly missing the break. The competition was ultimately won by the team of Ruth Faller & Steven Nolan. The speaker tab can be found here.

The UCD Earlsfort Open

10th June 2011

Registration is now open for the UCD Earlsfort Open which will take place on the 9th & 10th of July. Mr Steve Nolan, Euros DCA, will be the Chief Adjudicator, meaning the tournament will prove excellent preparation for the Championships in Galway!

The L&H at the Bristol Open

1st June 2011

Congratulations to all speakers who attended the Bristol Open last weekend. All teams performed fantastically well, with two of the teams finishing in the top eight, and all individuals placing in the top thirty speakers. Commiserations to the team of Christine Simpson & Mark Haughton who missed the break on speaker points. The winners of the competition were the team from Oxford A, Ben Woolgar and Hugh Burns.

The L&H Mourns the Loss of Dr Garret FitzGerald

19th May 2011

It is with sadness that the society announces that the death has occured of Dr Garret FitzGerald, Vice-President of the society. Dr FitzGerald was a dedicated contributor to the society, and, indeed, to university debating societies generally and will be sorely missed.

Our condolences are with his family.

Teams Selected to Represent the L&H at the EUDC 2011 in Galway

17th April 2011

The L&H is delighted to announce that the three teams selected to represent the society at the upcoming European Universities' Debating Championships hosted by the National University of Ireland, Galway are:

UCD L&H A: Christine Simpson & Mark Haughton

UCD L&H B: Dearbhla O'Gorman & Janine Ryan

UCD L&H C: Michael O'Dwyer & CiarĂˇn Garrett

The teams will be joined by Aengus Boyle and Sarah Taaffe-Maguire, who will serve as the society's adjudicators for the tournament. We wish them the best of success in their endeavours.

Irish Mace Grand Final

9th April 2011

The Irish Mace Final took place yesterday evening, hosted by the Philosophical Society, University College Cork. Representing the L&H were Niall Fahy & Kieran Daly, speaking
in First Opposition to the motion "This House Would Introduce Gender Quotas of 50% in DĂˇil Ă‰ireann". We want to congratulate the team once again - reaching the final was an incredible feat, and their astounding performance on the evening did the society proud once again. The final was won by Niamh NĂ­ Mhaoleoin and Huw Duffy, of the College Historical Society, Trinity College.

If you missed the event, or would like to watch their performance again, you can watch Niall & Kieran here:

Paris IV Results

4th April 2011

Congratulations go to Christine Simpson & Mark Haughton, and to Aengus Boyle (speaking as a composite team with Harish Natarajan of Cambridge University) who all reached the final of the Paris Intervarsity this weekend, and made the top ten on tab. The motion for the final was 'That This House Believes a Woman Who Wears High Heels is No More Free than a Woman Who Wears a Burka', with UCD L&H in First Proposition and the composite team in First Opposition. The final was won by LSE, Jon Ashbourne and Png Zhiheng.

DCU Open Results

26th March 2011

Yet another great weekend for L&H teams and speakers. The society had one team break, and another miss on coin toss. The speakers individually also did fantastically, with three L&H speakers in the top ten as well as three Novice speakers in the top ten Novices on tab at the DCU Open. Dearbhla O'Gorman and Shauna Farrell broke fourth and reached the semi-final (narrowly missing reaching the final on a 3-2 split). Christine Simpson & Michael O'Dwyer missed break after matching both team and speaker points with another team and losing a coin toss. Hard luck but well done to them!

L&H Hosts National Maidens

19th March 2011

National Maidens was held in UCD this weekend, a competition for those in their first year of college debating. It was a prestigious event, with 44 speakers from across the country competing for the title of 'National Maiden'. The competition was hosted by the L&H with Mark Haughton convening, and a fabulous adjudication panel of Catherine Murphy (TCD), Sophie Scannell (UCC), and Dearbhla O'Gorman setting fantastic motions which were enjoyed by all. The society and university had great success with a number of speakers breaking to semi-finals- Michael O'Dwyer (breaking first), Hannah Lucey, Eibhlin Crowley and Killian Breen, with the former two reaching the final. The motion for the final was 'That This House Would Tattoo Sex Offenders' and the competition was won by Cormac McGuinness of Trinity College Dublin, with Sally Rooney (also Trinity College) coming runner up. All speakers deserve congratulations, as well as the convenor and adjudicators- a huge thanks for a really enjoyable weekend.

Limerick Open Results

12th March 2011

This weekend was another successful one for the society, with four committee members breaking at the Limerick Open. The team of Christine Simpson & Mark Haughton (breaking second), a composite team of Sophie Scannell (UCC Philosoph) and Dearbhla O'Gorman (breaking sixth) and the team of and Cormac Duffy (UCD LawSoc) and Sarah Taaffe-Maguire(breaking seventh). The three teams met in the semi-final, with the team of Christine Simpson & Mark Haughton advancing to the final. The motion for the final was 'That This House Would Limit Technological Development to Prevent Machines Developing Human-level Sentience', and was ultimately won by a team of Catherine Murphy and Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin from Trinity College.

Irish Mace Semi-Final

10th March 2011

The L&H hosted a semi-final of the Irish Mace this evening- the motion was 'That This House Would Ban the Burka'. UCD was represented by two teams in the semi-final, with the team of UCD C&E, Conor O'Hanlon and Conor McAndrew, in first proposition, and UCD L&H, Niall Fahy and Kieran Daly, in first opposition. Advancing to the Grand Final of the Irish Mace was the L&H team of Niall Fahy and Kieran Daly- a massive congratulations for a spectacular performance! The Final will be taking place in UCC on Friday 8th April. Best of luck!

Nottingham Open Results

6th March 2011

Well done to Christine Simpson & Mark Haughton who reached the semi-finals of the Nottingham Open this weekend. The competition was ultimately won by the Cambridge team of Sam Block and Jack Gamble.

New Auditor Elected

2nd March 2011

Christine Simpson has taken the chair as Auditor for the 157th Session of The Literary and Historical Society at the society's Annual General Meeting.

Manchester IV Results

27th February 2011

Congratulations to Christine Simpson & Mark Haughton on reaching another final! This weekend they broke second at the Manchester IV and successfully progressed through the quarter and semi-final stages to reach the final. Ultimately they were defeated by Hugh Burns and Elisabeth van Lieshout of the Oxford Union.

Irish National Law Debates Results

12th February 2011

This weekend the society had two committee members reach the final of the Irish National Law Debates, hosted by the Literary & Debating and Law societies of NUI Galway. Dearbhla O'Gorman, partnering Colm Denny of the College Historical Society, and Mark Haughton, partnering John Beechinor of the UCC Philosophical Society, were both opposing the motion 'That This House, Which is the Catholic Church, Would Secretly Fake Evidence that Jesus Christ Specifically Sanctioned Homosexual Relationships'. The final was won by John Engle & Ros Ni Shuilleabhain of the University Philosophical Society, Trinity College.

L&H win the Edinburgh Open!

6th February 2011

Many congratulations to the team of Christine Simpson & Mark Haughton on winning the Edinburgh Open and topping the team and speaker tabs.

The pair won the final from first proposition on the motion 'That This Would Treat the Vatican City as a Rogue State'.

Trinity IV Results

30th January 2011

This weekend proved to be very successful for the L&H with two teams reaching the knockout stages of the Trinity IV. Janine Ryan & Eoghan Sheehy reached the quarter-finals of the competition and Gregg O'Neill & Christine Simpson reached the semi-finals.

Kingsmill-Moore Invitational Finalists

27th January 2011

Congratulations to Christine Simpson & Mark Haughton who reached the final of the Kingsmill-Moore Invitational held in Trinity College today. The competition serves as a warm-up event for this weekend's inter-varsity and featured some of the best debaters from across the British Isles. The final was won by Catherine Murphy & Niall Sherry, of Trinity's College Historical Society

Congratulations to all at Worlds

5th January 2011

Congratulations to both of the society's teams on a successful venture at the World Universities' Debating Championships and commiserations to them both on missing out on the break. Particular note must be made of Aengus Boyle who was a chair judge for 7 of the 9 rounds.

We would also like to extend our warmest congratulations to Dearbhla O'Gorman & Dearbhail O'Crowley, of the UCD Law Society, who broke to the Octo-Finals.

Teams Selected to Represent the L&H at the World Universities' Debating Championships 2011 in Botswana

22nd October 2010

The L&H is delighted to announce that the two teams selected to represent the society at the upcoming World Universities' Debating Championships hosted by the University of Botswana, Gaborone are:

UCD L&H A: Janine Ryan and Eoghan Sheehy

UCD L&H B: Niall Fahy and Killian Breen

The teams will be joined by Aengus Boyle who will serve as the society's adjudicator for the tournament. We wish them the best of success in their endeavours.

26th July 2010

The L&H is pleased to announce the launch of it's redesigned website. Our website has been updated to provide easier site navigation to users and a fresh new look.

Work is currently on going with the website and over the next number of weeks, there will be some small changes. If you notice any errors please email the author, Paul Lavin, at pro@literaryandhistorical.com with details.

Denny All-Ireland Schools Debating Competition Grand Final

24th April 2010

Congratulations to the team from Castleknock Community College and individual Carin Hunt from Wesley College for winning the Team and Individual Denny All-Ireland Schools Debating Competition

The Denny All-Ireland Schools Debating Competition Grand Final took take place today, 24 April, in the Astra Hall, Students'Centre, UCD and was hosted by The L&H. The motion was "That This House Believes That People Should Be Free To Do Anything So Long As They Do Not Cause Direct Harm To Another".

The teams were: from Belvedere College, John Doody and Kevin Millar; from Coláiste Iognaid, Cormac McGuiness and Jack Hansen; from Castleknock Community College, Deirdre McGuane and Aodhán Peelo and from Rockwell College, Leonard Lowe and Jack Moloney.

Congratulations to everyone who took part, the standard of debating was exceptionally high this year. A special word of thanks to the two conveners of the competition, from the L&H, Dearbhla O'Gorman and the The Hist Colm Denny.